Machine for treating metal strips



A. SUNDH. MACHINE FOR TREATING METAL STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, I920.

Patented Apr. 18', 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- will Mom kw APPLICATION FlLE D FEB. 17, 1920.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- A. SUNDH.

MACHINE FOR TREATING METAL STRIPS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17, 1920.

1,412,978. Patented pr- 18, 1922.

. 3 $HEETSSHEET 3.

mme/wtm NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST STJ'NDI-lf, 0F HASTINGS-UPON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SUNIOH ENGINEERING AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PEN'NSYLVANIA,'

i A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR TREATING METAL STRIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Original application filed December 20, 1917, Serial No. 208,070. Divided and this application filed Febchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Treating Metal Strips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention, in general, relates to apparatus for treating metal strips, whereln the strips are passed through a pickling unit where the dirt and scale withwhich the strips are covered are removed orloosened, the strips next passing to a washing and scrubbing unit where t e dirt and scale are removed and the strips thoroughly washed. The strips are next passed to a straightening and drying unit where they are thoroughly dried and straightened and slightly warmedor heated, the strips finally passing to a Winding unit composed .of one or more rotatable winding blocks or cylinders where they are coiled or wound up. The rotation of these blocks to wind the strips pullsor draws the strips through the various units of the machine mentioned. I have found in practice that such a machine is very -efiic 1ent as the strips may be cleaned more rapidly and thoroughly than in machines hereto fore constructed, the number of strips which may be treated simultaneously being limited The present application specifically is a' division of my co-pending application Serial No. 208,070 filed relates to the straightening and drying unit described in said application.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Fig, 1 illustrates in elevation and more or less diagrammatically a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 shows the straightening and drying unit in plan and part section;

Fig. 3 shows the straightening and dryin 'unit in elevation; and I ig. 4 is a wiring diagram.

Referring to Fig. 1, A designates a splicing unit, where, as the rear end of the strip which is passing through the machine approaches, a new strip taken from a supply unit B is spliced thereto. The strip or strips,

as the case may be, pass next through a pick- December 20, 1917, andruary 17, 1920. Serial no. 359,380.

ling unit 0 where the dirt and scale on the str p are loosened, the strips then passing to a washing and scrubbing unit D where the dirt and scale are removed and the strips thoroughly cleaned. The strips then pass to a drying and 'stra-i htenin unit E where they are dried an strai %itened, passing from this unit to the Win ing unit F comprising a plurality of independently controlled winding'blocks or cylinders, one for each stri where the strips are coiled up. The win ing unit F, it will be understood, draws the strips through the machine.

The straightening and drying unit comprises a frame 70 to one end of which is secured a bracket 80 carrying rollers 79, one roller for each strip, the strips, as they p)ass from the washing and scrubbing unit passing down around these rollers, then being led upwardly over rollers 81, from whence they pass to a heated straightening -will be imposed upon the same which blast is inclined relatively to the strips and causes the moisture and dampness on the strips to be blown therefromin" the direction of avity. The compressor 82 may be consi ered as ower-driven means for operating the drying unit or causing the same to function.

The strips after passing over the rollers 81 are led horizontally into a heated compartw ment 86 heated by steam coils 87 or other suitable means controlled by a valve 69.

'Within this compartment are rollers 88, each one of which comprises three (3) independently rotatable rollers.- These rollers are mounted in self-lubricating bearings 89 so that the use of oil for th1s purpose is unnecessary and danger of oil from these bearings being deposited on the strips is eliminated. While I have shown the rollers 88 made up of three (3) independently rotatable rollers, it is to be understood that object being to provide a section for each strip, so that if one of the winding blocks should be stopped or its speed vary from that of the others, the rollers 88will function properly.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the strips traveling horizontally, pass alternately over and'under the rollers 88 and are thereby thoroughly straightened, and inasmuch as the compartment within which these rollers are placed is heated, the strips are not only straightened but slightly heated also, and inasmuch as the strips immediately pass to the winding unit, it will be obvious that the strips will be wound up while still warm, an obvious advantage. The compartment 86 is provided with a cover C hinged at 90. The cover is held closed by bolts 91. If desired the cover may be counterweighted by the counterweight 92.

One method of drying strips prior to'my invention has been to pass the same over heated rollers, but I find the present method of blowing the moisture from the strips to be much more satisfactory as the moisture is blown not only from the smooth portions of the strips but from any irregularities there may be in the strips, which is not the case where the heated rollers mentioned are used.

Inasmuch as the strips are drawn throu h the drying and straightening unit, by t e winding blocks, I find it of great advantage to provide a motor drive for'the compressor of the dryingand straightening unit which is independent of the drive for the winding blocks.

The various motor and control circuits are shown in Fig. 4. In this figure it will be seen that the motor 93 for the washing and scrubbing unit, the motor 83 for the drying and straightening unit, and the motor 94 for the winding unit receive their current from a source of supply designated 95, controlled. by a single switch 96. However, in order that one motor may be stopped and started independently of the others, I provide each motor with a circuit controlling switch 97. Electromagnets 98, fully described in my copendin application heretofore mentioned, control ed by a bank of push buttons 99 operable from either end of the machine, are also provided to enable the Winding blocks to be controlled readily.

It will be seen by the foregoingthat I have provided a drying and straightening apparatus which is extremely sim 1e in construction but very efiicient and t at a plurality of strips may be treated simultaneously, the construction of the drying and straightening unit being such as to permit of any of the winding blocks to be stopped without having any effect upon the drying and straightening unit.

Obviously changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the apparatus herein described and illustrated within the purview of my invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a drying and straightening unit, and a winding unit for drawing strips through said drying and straightening units and coiling them up in a heated condition.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a heated compartment, means for drawing strips through said compartment, and independent power operated means for applying a blast of air to the Strips in the direction of gravity as the strips enter the heated compartment.

'3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a heated compartment, straightening rollswithin the compartment, a power-operated means for applying a blast of air to a strip as it enters the heated compartment, and independent power-operated means for drawing the strip through said blast of air, through the heated compartment, and alternately over and under the straightening rolls in the heated compartment.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a drying and straightening unit, power-operated means for applying a blast of heated air to a strip as it enters the drying unit, power-operated means for drawing the strip through the drying unit, straightening rolls within the d ing unit over and under which the strip 18 passed, means for heating the strip and the straightening rolls as the strip is drawn through the drying unit, and self-lubricating bearings for the straightening rolls.

5. The method of treating a metalstrip to dry the same which method consists in imposing a fluid upon the surface of the same to bodily remove moisture from the strip.

6. The method of treating a metal strip to dry the same which methods consists in imposing a fluid under pressure upon the surface of the same and at an angle thereto to bodily remove moisture from the strip.

7. The method of treating a metal strip to dry the same which method consists in causing the strip to travel vertically between blasts of air inclined to the strip.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a drying and straightening unit, power-operated means for applying a blast of heater air. to a strip as it enters the drying unit, power-operated means for drawing several strips through the drying unit simultaneously and sectional straightening rolls within the drying unit, a section for each strip. I

This specification signed this 13th day of February, 1920. 

